Silhouette: Jorge D. Carballo-Morales, based on a photo by Mario Barroso · PhyloPic

Great Fruit-eating Bat

Artibeus lituratus

Silhouette: Jorge D. Carballo-Morales, based on a photo by Mario Barroso · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassMammalia (Mammals)
OrderChiroptera (Bats)
FamilyPhyllostomidae (New World Leaf-nosed Bats)
GenusArtibeus (Neotropical Fruit Bats)
SpeciesArtibeus lituratus (Great Fruit-eating Bat)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Arenal Volcano National Park

1 Verified sightings at Arenal Volcano National Park From 2019 to 2026

75 Verified sightings across all 27 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted Active throughout day and night

About the Great Fruit-eating Bat

The great fruit-eating bat (Artibeus lituratus) is a bat species found from Mexico to Brazil and Argentina, as well as in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.

They weigh 10.5 grams (0.37 oz) at birth and grow to 65 grams (2.3 oz) as adults. The heart of A. lituratus contains unique membranous structures not seen in any other mammal. The functions of these differences are still being studied, but may possibly aid in keeping the heart in the correct position while upside down, flight assistance, and energy reservation.

In Panama, it has been found that some Artibeus lituratus fly with 18-23g fruits of Dipteryx panamensis (Fabaceae), which is a third of the animal's body weight, up to hundreds of meters from the parent tree. Reproductive damage within A. lituratus has been linked with the insecticide deltamethrin. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Arenal Volcano National Park

Artibeus jamaicensis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Desmodus rotundus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Lonchorhina aurita

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Uroderma bilobatum

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Micronycteris microtis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Vampyressa thyone

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Rhynchonycteris naso

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Centronycteris centralis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Saccopteryx bilineata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Saccopteryx leptura

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Cormura brevirostris

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Pteronotus mesoamericanus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
2	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
3	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
4	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
5	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
6	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	Insufficient data
7	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	Insufficient data
8	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
9	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
10	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
11	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
12	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
13	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
14	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	Insufficient data
15	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
16	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
17	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
18	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
19	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
20	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
21	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
22	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
23	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
24	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
25	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
26	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
27	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	Insufficient data

← Back to Arenal Volcano National Park

Great Fruit-eating Bat

About the Great Fruit-eating Bat

Recent sightings of Great Fruit-eating Bat in Arenal Volcano National Park

Closest Relatives at Arenal Volcano National Park

Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat

Vampire Bat

Tomes's Sword-nosed Bat

Common tent-making Bat

Common Big-eared Bat

Northern Little Yellow-eared Bat

Proboscis Bat

Thomas's Shaggy Bat

Greater Sac-winged Bat

Lesser Sac-winged Bat

Chestnut Sac-winged Bat

Mesoamerican Common Mustached Bat

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found